Arts Management Program

Class of 2011

Rithisal Kang is a Fulbright Scholar from Cambodia

Rithisal worked for Amrita Performing Arts, an international performing arts production company based in Cambodia. In his capacity as a Program Coordinator, he managed numerous productions including Cambodia’s first ever rock opera Where Elephants Weep, Epic Arts’ Spotlight Festival of disabled artists, and the Phnom Penh Arts Festival. He was also a grant administrator for the three-year Cambodian Artists Project, which provided funding to support artists of Cambodia’s Royal University of Fine Arts for their creative works. He has closely collaborated with many artists in facilitating their participation in international workshops, conferences, and residency programs nurturing artistic exchange and capacity building. He has toured extensively as a Company Manager and Tour Director throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. Rithisal is a grantee of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Asian Cultural Council with special funds from the Rockefeller Foundation to pursue his Master’s degree in Arts Management at SUNY Buffalo. 

“It is a great privilege to join the arts management program at UB. I come from Cambodia, a country that has a rich performing arts heritage, but there is a great lack of expertise in arts management. The older masters and senior artists are very watchful over their arts heritage and are very concerned that the current trend in contemporary creativity could lead to the collapse of the traditional forms. That is not my biggest concern, for we always include the masters in constructive dialogues when we create new work. To me, this country is more importantly in need of the resources to manage the arts – raising funds, developing our audience, handling the imminent issues in the field, and so on. I expect my two-year study will provide me with enormous knowledge and experience to contribute to that process.”

Kelly Bennett comes to us from Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston 

Kelly Bennett graduated in 2001 with a BFA in Photography from the University of Houston.  She began working in preparations during her college career, and after graduation went on to work for such institutions as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Houston Center of Photography.  In 2003, Kelly began working at the Blaffer Gallery, the art museum on the University of Houston, as Head of Preparations.  In 2004, she added Exhibition Designer to her list of duties, and over the last five years has designed exhibitions for Blaffer Gallery’s space in Houston, as well as many spaces around the country.  She has been involved with traveling exhibitions that have been at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Modern Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the Sungkok Art Museum in Seoul Korea.  Her design for Chuck Close: Process and Collaboration helped the Sungkok Art Museum win Best Exhibition in Seoul 2008. After arriving in Buffalo she assisted in the installation of the Body Worlds exhibition at The Science Museum of Buffalo.  She is currently working in preparations at the Albright Knox Art Gallery and the UB Art Galleries.

"I hope to achieve a more complete understanding of the details involved in managing the arts. I have worked with small and large institutions and while I have an understanding of the roles everyone plays, I feel that I need guidance in the specifics. One of the reasons I picked UB’s program is because of the international inspiration behind the curriculum. The world is getting smaller, but there are still major differences in the way we all communicate. I hope that I will leave this program with a more diverse understanding of the particulars of being an effective manager in the arts. This way I can take the next step in an industry I am truly passionate about, and have a more complete understanding of my interactions from all over the globe."

Curtis Stedge is currently the Acting Executive Director of Projective Kinetics.

Over the past six years Curtis has worked for various national and international non-profit arts organizations including Geva Theatre Center (Rochester, NY) as Associate Director of Box Office Operations and The National Centre for Early Music (York, England) as Marketing Assistant. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Potsdam in Business Administration and Dance with a minor in Music Business.  As a professional dancer he has toured regionally with Geomantics Dance Theater (Rochester, NY), of which he is a co-founder. Curtis currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Old Forge Ballet Company, (Old Forge, NY) and as Chair of the Events Committee and a founding member of TheatreROCS (Rochester, NY). His interests in arts management include developing new and innovative successful business models for arts based non-profits and the role of arts non-profits in the movement for social change and in filling the void left by the absence of school administered arts programming.

“Having researched a multitude of Arts Management programs both in the US and abroad I was pleasantly amazed to find one of the best in my regional backyard. Dr. Bereson has developed a truly unique program at UB merging both theory and practice in a myriad of innovative and challenging ways. In today’s political and economic labyrinths an arts manager needs more than the typical general understanding of business practice that an MBA provides. They need a fearless exploratory verve enabling them to tackle challenging issues with sometimes, unpopular solutions. This program with it’s borderless international classroom and its expert faculty will no doubt enable me to become both the type of arts manager I aspire to be and that which the current arts industry is in great need of.”

Robyn Busch has a background in Theatre and Journalism and assistant at UB Slee Hall

Robyn attended the University of Evansville and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science double major in Theatre Performance and Spanish.  Throughout university Robyn interned at Starlight Theatre and performed in various professional and university theatre productions.  Robyn studied abroad in Seville, Spain at the Universidad de Sevilla where she became fluent in Spanish. Upon completion of her studies, she spent 2007-2008 developing bilingual initiatives and teaching English in Spain for the Spanish Ministry of Education and Sciences.  Robyn joins the program with a background in theatre and both broadcast and print journalism. She served as the co-editor of The Kansas City Star TeenStar, where her writing was recognized by the National Youth Editorial Alliance. Other articles have been featured in KC Stage Magazine, KansasCity.com, and Buffalo.com. Robyn's senior paper, "Theatre for Change: Emblematic of the Zeitgeist," sharpened her enthusiasm for socially interactive art on an international level and she is eager to combine her fields of interest through her studies in arts management.

"I see the MA in Arts Management as an opportunity to study and harness my cultural and artistic interests while learning legal and managerial aspects of leading an arts organization. Management of the arts is distinctly and inherently different than management of a typical commercial venture. I am eager to build a knowledge base that will enable me to become a successful manager in a variety of contexts. The University at Buffalo program greatly appealed to me because of its international emphasis; to effectively promote the arts, we must be cognizant of the world in which it is created. I believe my interdisciplinary background coupled with the education and opportunities available through the Arts Management program will prepare me to succeed professionally as well as positively contribute to the advancement of the arts."

Dan Shanahan is the founder and Artistic Director of Torn Space Theater. 

Dan has directed over twenty- five works for the stage, many of which were U.S. and area premiers.  He has written and produced five original works for the stage; Muriel Vanderbilt Goes Walking, Terminus, Architect, STIVALE, and AREA.  These productions have been performed in Buffalo and New York City.  Two of these productions, Terminus and Architect were tailored around site-specific installation performances created for the architecturally significant Central Train Terminal and the grand ballroom of The Dnipro Ukrainian Home.  Dan was awarded, Best Director, Artvoice, for his stage direction of his original work Terminus.  Terminus also received Best Production of WNY, Buffalo Spree Magazine.  He is the recipient of NYSCA’s Individual Artist grant for playwriting for his production, Architect.  Dan has also been nominated for Arties for his stage direction of 'night Mother, by Marsha Norman and for Best New Play for both Architect and STIVALE.  He currently teaches Theater at Buffalo State College. Torn Space Theater company’s work draws from the traditions of sculpture, architecture and multi-media in order to reinterpret existing works, create original productions, and design large scale installation performances.  The company’s work was most recently featured in the auteurs, http://www.theauteurs.com/notebook/posts/609. 

"What do I hope to achieve? I want to gain the necessary information and perspective to successfully create and expand my company within an increasingly unsubsidized artistic environment.  For this to occur I will need a better understanding of how to forge collaborations with local government, institutions such as the University and the Museum, and the private sector.    Within this program, I look forward to gaining a background in business and law while discovering a balance between philosophies and histories, along with the practical knowledge needed to make the ideas useful and sustainable.  I hope to have my ideas and perspective on the subject challenged, assisted and accelerated, while being offered a clear understanding of the pragmatic and possible world of Arts Management. "

Jeanette Norton comes to us from NYC where she was most recently Assistant to the General Manager at 321 Theatrical Management.  She is an Adminstrative Assistant for the Irish Classical Theatre Company

Jeanette Norton is thrilled to return to her hometown of Buffalo after 7 years studying and working in New York City. Jeanette holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Marymount Manhattan College. For the past 5 years she has worked for 321 Theatrical Management, one of the top General Management offices in NYC.  During her stay with 321 Jeanette had the pleasure of working on some of the most successful Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including the smash hit Wicked. As Assistant to the General Manager, Jeanette was an integral member of the team overseeing the administration of 8 simultaneous productions of Wicked around the county and throughout the world.  While at 321 Theatrical Management, she also worked as an Assistant Company Manager on several off-Broadway shows.  Jeanette acted as a liaison between the company, theatre staff and General Manager while assisting the Company Manager with all the day-to-day tasks including financing, box office reports and union benefits. Other productions include The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change, and this seasons Tony winning new musical Next To Normal.  Currently Jeanette is working as Administrative Assistant at the Irish Classical Theatre Company.

 "My career goal is simple to do great theatre that challenges and inspires my audience as well as myself. Specifically, Id like to work with a not-for-profit theatre company that is committed to education outreach and audience development. I am interested in working with patrons who support the arts and value its presence in their community. 

I enjoyed my time working in New York but always felt something was missing.  I wasnt sure I wanted to go back to school but when I read about UBs extraordinary Arts Management program, I knew it would be the perfect fit. The individualized attention and hands on work experience will allow me the opportunity to explore the world outside my comfort zone. Although my primary focus has been theatre, I am eager to expand my horizons to all areas of the arts. This program will provide me with the necessary tools and a solid foundation to begin my career as a future arts leader."

Qi, Zheng is from Beijing with a background in Advertising and Public Management

I completed my BA degree in 2007 with a major of Advertising in the Xiamen University of China. During my undergraduate period I spent most of my college time practicing my abilities in advertising design and received several prizes including the Young Times Advertising Awards and China College Student Advertising Arts Awards. After my graduation I strived for a job in the Capital Library of China and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture. During this period, I participated in making a statistical survey which mainly reflected the circumstance of cultural market in Beijing. When the Olympic Games were held in Beijing, I was honored to be a part of it and cooperated with the superior administrators to supervise the Olympic cultural activity.

To be honest, at the beginning I did not know much about the city of Buffalo except ‘snow’ and ‘cold winter’. However, after carefully browsing the introduction of the program in Arts Management, I realized that it would perfectly fit my academic and career goal. Furthermore, during my application teachers and students in this program offered great help which enabled me to better understand everything about arts management. When I received the admission letter, I felt so excited because it gave me an opportunity to join one of the best arts management programs and study with excellent people. I believe through the systematic study in this program I will have a comprehensive understanding about the role the art manager plays, and the more important issue of how to play the role. Also, I will make my own contribution to identify and solve the complex, interdisciplinary problems which are inherent in the areas of arts field and cultural policy making.

Talia Silveri comes to us with a background in Visual Arts 

Talia is an artist and native to Buffalo, New York. She holds a degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Buffalo State College and has made it her priority to remain consistently involved in the Buffalo art world through employment, volunteering, and patronage. Through these experiences Talia has developed skills in event planning, curating, research and development of an archival database, and has gained insight into the art of facilitating the public in a museum environment. She has worked for the Buffalo Museum of Science and maintained two consecutive internships at the Burchfield Penny Art Center and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Gallery. Last year Talia further broadened her experience by serving as the art curator and event coordinator for a fundraiser at Buffalo’s Central Terminal called Mobility Across the Ages.  She is excited to attend the Summer School Abroad at the Venice Biennale with the Arts Management Program and feels that this experience will give her a unique glimpse into one of the most prestigious institutions in the history of Art.

"After planning and hosting Mobility Across the Ages, I discovered that I am most interested in a career in Arts Management. I hope to incorporate my interests in Education, Arts and Community Development and Fine Arts in order to best focus my path. While exploring various Arts Management Programs in the US I quickly learned that the best was right in my hometown. At UB I will be gaining an interdisciplinary education exploring theoretical and philosophical issues within in the field and also gaining the necessary business and law knowledge that this program offers. I am looking forward to becoming internationally marketable in order to live and work abroad after I get my degree. This program will provide me with opportunities that I can only dream of and I feel confident in my future now that I am an incoming student in this advantageous program." 

Sophia Eszes has a background in Arts Education                                                                                                                                                               

As a dancer and an artist, Sophia has always had a love for the stage and design. She spent her first two years of college at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, home of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, nurturing her passions by performing in various dance shows and taking classes in art history. Wanting more, Sophia moved to Buffalo in 2008 in order to finish her studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She received her B.A. in Art History this past May and will begin her studies in Arts Management this fall.

“Hailing from a family of artists and creative souls, I always knew my career path would be somewhere in the arts. I developed a passion for theatre and dance at such a young age; it just makes sense that I would turn it into a career. You have to do something that you love. With a little research, I found that this program could offer me everything I wanted. I feel confident that this program will further help me develop the necessary skills needed to successfully manage a theatre. Theatre and dance have had such a strong impact in my life; I want to be able to create, to manage an environment so others can have the same, positive experience I have had with the stage.”

Lin, Shu Wen is from Taiwan with a background in Visual Arts and Festivals

Shu-Wen graduated from National Chuang-hua University of Education with Bachelor of Fine Art in 2006.  Following this she held an internship in a high school for visual art specialized students and was a volunteer for Taiwan International Documentary Festival.. Afterward, she keeps teaching in high school for She has variety interests in visual art and was an assistant designer and editor for a design company and monthly publication.  Through these experiences, she gained knowledge of teaching, exhibitions, and publication.

“Studying in the US is a great opportunity for me to know a different culture and attend artistic activities. The arts are not only of importance for me but the most essential part of my life. I  believe that I could have distinct insight into artistic sectors in the US from this program, and get skills I need from those diverse courses.  I would love to use the experience and knowledge which I gain here when I am return to Taiwan and will try my best to bring many excellent exhibitions there"

Teresa K. Tam attended the Venice Biennale with this Program in June 2009

Teresa completed her B.A. degree in 2007 with a double major in French and Asian Studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  During her undergraduate career, she was also an active member in choral and orchestral arts around New York State.  During her participation with the UB Choirs, she became acquainted with Harold Rosenbaum and his non-profit organization, the Canticorum Virtuosi, Inc.  Through this organization, she has explored the fundamentals of grant research, marketing, and networking within the choral circuit.  Teresa will begin her arts management studies by attending the Venice Biennale in the summer of 2009.

“I was in search of a program that included my passion for music, but wanted to take a more behind-the-scenes approach to the arts.  I also wanted a career that would incorporate the arts on an international scale.  My study abroad experiences in Europe and Asia left me with the desire to combine these two important facets of my life into a common entity.  I learned about the Arts Management Program at UB through a current student and decided this program integrated everything I was looking for.  My hopes from this degree are to attain the logistics of management and adapt them accordingly to the international context of the arts.  By breaking down the cultural and procedural obstacles, the true essence of the creative arts can permeate through the many cultures of the world and create a universal form of expression.”